System and apparatus for handling freight



June 17, 1930. v QE. COCHRAN SYSTEM AND vAPPARATUS FOR HANDLING FREIGHT Y Filed JulyV 22, i927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 www June 17, 1930. vcz. E. colcHRAN i y I 1,764,780

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FREIGHT Filed Julyzz, '1927 4 sheets-sheet 2 June 1'1,r 1930.V

C.. E. COCHRAN f :SYSTEI AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLIN FREIGHT Filed July 22, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 `June 17, 1930. c. E. COCHRAN sYsTEuvgmn APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FREIGHT Filed July 22, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented .Imal 17,1930

tUNlrE-DSTATESPA-TENT OFFICE CLYDE'E. COCHRAN, 0F CLEVELAND, 4OHIO, SSIGNOR T0 THE ELWELL-PARXER p. ELECTRIO`COMPANY,OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF OHIO v @SYSTEM ANN APPARATUS Non HANDLING FREIGHT Application ala vJuly 22,

danger of opening of the containers by un-l authorized partiesl is minimized. v

Heretofore, speclal apparatus has been. re-

- quired to insert and withdraw the small containers, and such apparatus has included the l building of a' raised stationary platform 'whieh leads outwardly from the large container. From such platform small containers y2o arehandled as individual units by an industrial tl'uck. Illasmuch as the freight llan- -dling requirements usually necessitate vthe 'movingof the individual colltainers from the large container to remote points/within the i station, considerable time` is lost if only one industrial truck is used for the transporting medium. Moreover, after the small. cou-` tainers have been moved to the desired location, then it is frequently necessaryto raise the small containers'to a different level. Such elevation of the containers is desirable in cases where the handling platform is above thelreceiving platform, or in cases where it is desired to elevate the small container onto a motor truck. Thus, the industrial truck must be operated for a considerable period of time without a load.

, An object of the present invention is to provide a system of handling freightwherein a plurality of small containers may be transp ported as a group, and then may be individually transposed to a different level in accordancewith the freight handling demands.-

In addition, lny invention contemplates the construction of an industrial truck which is well adapted for carrying out my system.

The p'referred form of apparatus for car-A 'rying out m invention is illustrated in the drawings, W erein Figi is a side elevation of an industrial. truck made in accordance 1927. serial 110.5201635.

with my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar side elevationshowing one of the containers on a different level; Fig. 3 is all end view of the truck sllowing the elevating platform at a higher level than the stationary platform; Fig. 4 is avertical longitudinal section through the` truck with the elevating plat-v form in Vraised position; Fig.- 5 is a vertical section showing a; detail of the platform structure; Fig. 6 isa diagrammatic view showing the -short turning radius of the truck; alld Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a motor' truckl and industrial truck showing the operation of any system.

The industrial truck made in accordance with this invention has a main frame l0 which is ,supported at one end by drive wheels r 11 and at the other end by two pairs of idler wheels 12. The end having the drive wheels l1 is termed the front end of the truck and carries the usual power unit, including the motor and storage batteries, together with the control mechanism.

The main frame supports a" relatively stationary-platform 14, and a'relatively movable 75 platform l5. Such platforms are so arranged that the level of the movable platform can be brought to the same level as the stationary platform for enabling containers to be shifted from one to the other latform.

L vTo support the movable plat orm, I provide a vertical guide frame 20, which extends upwardly from the main frame near the power unit. Such guide `frame embodies spaced beams, the lower ends of which are attached vto the main frame and the upper ends of which are connected by a vcap 21. 4Suitable reinforcing connections are utilized for providing sufficient strength and rigidity to the upright frame. The elevating platform carries two pairs of lguide wheels 25-26, which are adapted respectively toengage the inner and outer flanges 27 and 28 on the guide beams. l

"o actuate the plaform I utilize a pair 95 y of guide pulleys 30, which are journalled in the elevated frame and another pair of\ pulleys 3l which are disposed at the top of the upright frame. Such last named pulleys are mounted for rotation upon a shaft 32, loa

Vapproximately through the mid-portion of f the main frame. Such arrangement is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5, wherein the turning locus is shown at 40.

Vith the apparatus thus described I can effect the handling of freight by means of containers in an expeditious manner. For example, the relatively small containers indicated at 50 in Fig. 7 are normall stored in a relatively large container 51. guch large container comprises a removable automobile body having doors preferably in both ends.

VThe small containers are adapted to be simultaneously Withdrawn from the large container. One Way of accomplishing this is to so arrange the level of the platform. that the end of the industrial truck may be brought into engagement with the end of the motor truck 56, While the platform level of the industrial truck is substantially in the same horizontal plane as the level of the Hoorsurface of the container 51. By interconnecting the relatively small containers, as by chains 57, andby mounting the containers upon rollers, then all of the smallcontainers may be simultaneouslywithdrawn from the large container and moved on to the platform of the industrial truck. vA convenient Way of accomplishing this is to utilize a Windlass 58 Which may be mounted upon the industrial truck adjacent to forward end thereof. A cable 59 on the Windlass may be attached to suitable hooks on the `end of the container, and since the containers are interconnected before being inserted into the large container, they may be simultaneously Withdrawn as a unit. The windlass is shown as being hand operable but if desired may be operated by power. f

.After the containers have been positioned upon the industrial truck, then the truck may be transported and the containers may be progressively transposed to a different. level and removed from the truck. Such transposition of level is'obtained by means of the elevating platform heretofore described.

Assuming that the containers are to be raised with reference to the stationary part of the platform, then after one is raised 'to the desired level, it can vbe shifted laterally from the industrial truck across a ramp 60 onto a platform 61, as indicated in Fig. 3L

Thereafter the elevating platform is lowered to the original level and then the next container is moved on to the platform as by means of the Windlass, and is thereafter elevated in the same manner. Thus, I provide a system wherein all of the containers may bc moved as a unit onto the truck, and then may be progressively removed therefrom at a transposed level. Only one operation of the truck is thus required for this system.

I claim:

1. A system of'handling freight, which includes the steps of loading it into a plurality of containers of convenient size to be drawn byl andy placed upon an industrial truck, coupling the containers together to form a train, operating the truck. to move the train as a unit onto the platform of the truck, providing an elevating mechanism on the truck for raising one of the containers above the platform, moving the container laterally from the truck at a transposed level, and then progressively moving each subsequent container onto the elevating mechanism and moving it laterally from the truck at a transposed level.

2. An industrial truck having a main frame, supportingwheels journalled at each end of said frame, a relatively stationary platform carried by the frame and overhanging one end thereof, poWersupply and control mechanism adjacent the opposite end thereof, guiding means extending vertically from the frame adjacent said means, and an L- shaped carrier movable vertically in said guiding means, and having a platform adaptedwhen in lowered position to align With the stationary platform, and to provide a continuation thereof, the relatively movable-platform having substantially the same Width as the relatively stationary platform, and mechanism associated with saidA means for moving articles from the stationary platform onto the movable platform.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

CLYDE E. COCHRAN. 

